mother and child car parking spaces

What is the status of mother and child car parking spaces. Can a supermarket clamp if one does not have child

Del2005

Marketing exercise. IMO If they did you'd have a nice payout from the WRC, family status is one of the Discrimination laws and that's discrimination against people who don't have family.

KaneToad

Do you feel aggreived that you can't park in these spaces?

touts

Name the supermarket that clamped you. I'd like to give them some business.

It may not be a legal thing to respect mother and child spaces but it's just common courtesy.

Gatling

There actually for parent and careers to make or easier to take a child seat out of a car and in a lot of cases they are available for any parent to use with a child up to 14 years old, but they key point they have no legal standing , they can't fine you or clamp you for using one ,

Despite what some mammies will claim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058211430/mother-and-child-car-parking-spaces

Oh sweet Jesus! Is there really a necessity for this?

Cdemess

Golden rule- always keep one in the car

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968736#Comment_117968736

why would i care where you bring your business. go away

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968757#Comment_117968757

i know what they are for i am curious as to legal status. In the uK you can be fined if it is a council park

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968725#Comment_117968725

that is an interesting angle

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968961#Comment_117968961

As far as I'm aware they are only found in shopping centre car parks here with no Legal standing or protection ,I remember seeing an argument between a woman and man about using one particular spot in a major shopping centre both had a child ,but the woman seemed to believe she was more entitled to use it as it was a "mother" and child spot not to be used by anyone but mothers 🤣🤣

Pawwed Rig

PARENT and child space not mother and child.

On private property you can make up your own rules and enforce them as you see fit. You were aware of the rules, broke them and got clamped. I cannot see a small claims or lower court judge ruling in your favour. If you want to throw money at it and keep taking it higher someone may find a point of law that allows a ruling in your favour.

Allinall

If they have a sign that says they will clamp you, then they can clamp you.

What’s your beef?

starbaby2003

We usually follow UK law, so I would say yes they can. https://www.thesun.ie/motors/3760662/parent-child-parking-rules-explained-fine/

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968725#Comment_117968725

If the prohibition was against those who didnt have children at all I would agree with you but the prohibition is against those who do not have children with them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968977#Comment_117968977

i didn't get clamped,it is a discussion for curiosity. One sign i looked at mentioned being clamped for parking in disabled bay and for staying too long but didn't mention the mother and child bay

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968989#Comment_117968989

We don't. And in the case of clamping, "the UK" doesn't even have cohesive laws across its sub-countries and ours are not similar to the different ones they have anyway.

KaneToad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969022#Comment_117969022

Where is this place that has a "mother" and child parking space?

listermint

I guess it's a simple case of don't be a prk OP. Many people are intent on just being prks. It doesn't matter if it's a car space for people that aren't me . Or throwing my rubbish out the window on a country lane. People need to cop on and have personal responsibility.

How does personal responsibility and thinking about others sit with you...

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969044#Comment_117969044

It's a gimmick parking space , beggars belief that people actually take it seriously ,

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969052#Comment_117969052

It isn't really that difficult to understand. Taking a child out of a car requires extra space. I'd rather they have their own spaces than banging their door off mine while extracting their infant.

Parent and child.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969052#Comment_117969052

How can you take a parking space seriously? Or casually for that matter.

You just park there, or not, according to the regulations set down by the people that own the space.

Getting emotional about a parking space is just weird.

Charles Babbage

You could argue that discrimination on the grounds of family status is illegal, but of course an infant has a form of disability being unable to get out of the car by themselves. A good lawyer could have a case with this.

iwillhtfu

It's mad that we need fines and clamping for what should just be common courtesy. It's great to see the the gardai clamping down on disabled bay parking abuse the last while. I could care less if it's a revenue generating exercise the fines for it should be trebled imo.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969119#Comment_117969119

but it doesn't discriminate on the basis of family spaces. It discriminates on whether or not you have a child with you. That is not a protected class.

Strumms

It’s a “ ohhh look at us, we are nice to parents and kids, can we have brownie points please and ohhhh ya “

if they really cared they’d do away with those spaces and have more wheelchair/accessible spaces for those people who have medical conditions / disabilities whereby they would ‘need’ or appreciate the extra space firstly to access the vehicle with mobility aids and secondly have less of a walk to the shop...parent and child parking is totally gimmicky but most supermarkets / shopping centers have em now.....if you are out of hospital following a stroke and can’t get a wheelchair / accessible space you’d be not too enamored watching some perfectly healthy young folks get ‘preferential ‘parking’ because they own a perfectly healthy four year old.

From a legal standpoint they could do SFA...

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969119#Comment_117969119

An infant only has a disability if he is medically diagnosed as having one...an infant won’t qualify for a disability allowance so they shouldn’t qualify for any specific special parking of any kind..

touts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117968955#Comment_117968955

Well if that's your attitude I'm not surprised you are the sort who will park in Parent and Child spaces. I hope they scratched your alloys putting the clamps on.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969144#Comment_117969144

If it's their land, then surely the supermarket etc can apply whatever rules they want, provided they don't discriminate on the basis of the big nine.

If a supermarket wants to put up a sign saying "no Mayo plates" - well fair play to them.

My god, the OP. asks a simple curiosity question; this being a legal forum, they naturally would expect a somewhat informed response; they never said they got clamped;

instead you jump down their throat like they’ve committed murder or something, assuming all sorts without even the courtesy of asking them for some basic facts

some of you really need to take a long hard look at yourselves.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969131#Comment_117969131

If someone doesn't have a child then they can't park there, that's family status discrimination. What would be the outcome if I had a shop and put in "No Children allowed in this space" parking spaces?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969338#Comment_117969338

They can't there are 9 protected groups from discrimination in this country and private property doesn't make any difference for them. You can ban Mayo plates or Fords but not people without children

DoctorEdgeWild

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969479#Comment_117969479

But you don't have to have a child, to have brought a child with you. I have no children, but sometimes go to the shop with my niece and nephew.

I think that's the point being made by ohnonotgmail.

Purple Mountain

I've seen "Expectant mother" spaces too in shopping centre carparks.

Technically I could park there and if challenged, I could say I'm 3 weeks pregnant.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969479#Comment_117969479

They dont have to be your child. They don't even check.

wildwillow

I would certainly prefer that cars with children in car seats park in those wider spaces. I never park beside a car with a car seat as you need lots more space to put the child in the seat and door may hit my car.

As for discrimination against people without children, well I can park there when I have grandchildren in the car, cannot when I am alone, even if the car seats are still in the car. I don't feel discriminated against in those circumstances.

I am in a hurry not read all replies I looked at the sign again. it says clamping for disabled space and for staying loner than x period. But it doesn't mention the PARENT and child spaces. So wouldn't that mean if they took any action it would be outside their terms and conditions.?

I didn't get clamped, I didn't even park in one. I am just curious as to the legal situation.

cavan_man2021

I always park in these spaces even though I'm not a mother/baby.

Grand and wide for opening the doors. Don't have to worry about the car beside me banging their door off mine.

Darc19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969119#Comment_117969119

Sometimes I bring my godchild shopping.

Nowhere does it state that it has to be your child, so I think the lawyer would have difficulty.

Though considering some lawyers will take a high court case for an adult falling off a child's swing in a child's playground, it wouldn't surprise me if someone took a case 😂

Chris_5339762

Parent and child parking is a reasonable idea, but right next to the shop door like the Disabled spots is too much IMO. They should be further away from "OAP and pensioner parking", which we can't seem to do at all.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969117#Comment_117969117

Fat bloke barbequeing.

I parked in the parent and child parking once when I had my mother in the car and all the disability spots were full (she had a badge, as do I).

Mam had mobility issues and needed extra space to open the car door wide to swing her legs out and had a walker.

A security guard tried to challenge me, and I swiftly put him back in his box by pointing out that I was the child, she was the parent.

(then I told him to go check if all the cars occupying the disability spaces were displaying badges).

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028837#Comment_118028837

So they were enforcing the parent and child parking but not the disabled parking? Strange decision there.

Aren't disabled badge holders allowed park virtually anywhere or is that just in UK?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028974#Comment_118028974

I guess it was because he saw me pulling up.

Anyone with a disability badge can park free of charge in a public space here, but they can't just park anywhere. Like you can't park on a double yellow. I've never driven in the UK, so don't know what their rules are.

whippet

I used these spaces for a few years when my elderly father was with me .. I couldn't get a disabled badge .. it was a pain in the arse trying to get one in reality m. He was extremely frail and had a debilitating condition.

getting him in and out of the car was a bit of an ordeal and the extra space was badly needed.. also they tend to be close to the entrance.

the odd time I'd get some looks but once they saw who was with me it was alright

and in theory it was parent and child parking !

Akrasia

Like I say every time these threads come up, if you don't want your car to be dinged to sh1t by kids opening their doors trying to get out, or parents trying to get a kid strapped into a car seat, then you should respect the parent and child spots.

Most car parking spaces are too narrow, but for able bodied adults, we can usually squeeze past if someone parks next to you a bit too close. But if you have to get a baby in a carry cot into a car seat, the door has to open wide enough

Also, while I always tell my kids to be careful opening their doors when getting out, not everyone does, so I'd way prefer to park further away from the door of the shop, hoping that the parents with small kids can access those wider spaces so they don't end up parked beside me and whack their door off my car.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118033407#Comment_118033407

Most car parking spaces are too narrow, but for able bodied adults, we can usually squeeze past if someone parks next to you a bit too close. But if you have to get a baby in a carry cot into a car seat, the door has to open wide enough

What about someone who has a medical condition difficulty in narrow spaces but does not qualify for the badge?

I have my mother's photo on my car keys so i am the child with my parent

I read in the UK pregnant women may be breaking the law by parking in the because even though wth child are not with child.

Does the UK not have Equality Legislation as we do with ten grounds including family status?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117969479#Comment_117969479

Could there be an exemption?. I am surprised the supermarkets would leave themselves open to a claim

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118794822#Comment_118794822

If someone who genuinely needs the wider space to get in and out takes one of the wider spaces reserved for parents and children, then they're welcome to it as far as I am concerned.

Its the selfish arsheholes who park there because they're usually closer to the door of the shop or because they're 'freedom fighters' trying to prove a point that annoy me, because it genuinely has led to my car getting damaged by frustrated parents trying to get a child seat into their car, and it has probably happened to you too at least once.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118794867#Comment_118794867

I don't think parent should have a right to special places if it breaches Equality Legislation

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118795280#Comment_118795280

It doesn't breach equality legislation